rems

Haha word.

Wait, are you saying that I sound like an insecure jackass or are you supporting what I wrote? Because I think we said pretty much the same thing I'm just confused on "who" you're referring to.

I think the issue with these discussions is we keep separating concepts of "what you do while you're in school" and "ranking." We all seem to assume that people in the ivies are sitting around with their thumbs up their asses whereas us on the bottom shelf are producing amazing work and no one is paying attention. Now, before everyone says that you can create amazing work anywhere (which is true), we have to stop seeing these ideas as separate and look at the climate and culture of where you get your degree. Higher ranking schools have better resources, funding, profs, money, fostering climates, etc. etc. etc. If you have your undergrad from MIT, you probably have top-notch training in some science or math thing. This isn't saying that people who attend schools that are less prestigious as MIT AREN'T good students, AREN'T smart enough, or AREN'T prepared enough to attend a top ten program. The problem is that SO ARE the kids from MIT, and they have a degree from MIT. Not every student at a top ranking school is going to produce great work, and if their application isn't strong enough for them to get into school ANYWAY the ranking of their program probably won't matter much. The issue is that those kids who are qualified for admissions from a top ranking school are qualified AND they have a degree from a top ranking school. This isn't an A, B, or C issue, it's a bigger picture issue. So it's not JUST a flowery name at the top of the diploma, it's what that flowery name ADDS regarding an applicant's profile.

No look pretty good from a numbers stand point. And your GRE AND GPA are better than mine and you come from Rutgers. All-in-all, you might have a shot. Very well said!

I dig.

That's a good idea! I think the main issue with "arguing" on forums comes from misinterpreting tone. Saying to someone, "You need to go to a high ranked school in order to get a job" is a very straight forward comment suggesting a fact more than an opinion. However, what we tend to hear is, "Hey idiot, what the hell do you think you're doing going to a school for stupid people? You didn't get into a good college because you're not as good as I am at everything. You suck." If only we could HEAR each other through this inter-net. Anyone watch Family Guy Sunday? Funny joke: Peter: Can we drop by the down syndrome camp on the way home? Lois: No, Peter, that was the University of Florida.

I see what you're saying by disputing that "pedigree matters" and I think we could have a better word for it than "pedigree" which connotes a million different class biases, but, honestly, you're being dismissive to a major socioeconomic issue in our culture. A lot of us on here don't come from a "pedigree" and we are continuously reminded that it does, indeed, matter in the long run. And it's not just the name of the school that does it -- it's the entire culture and environment for fostering learning that differs. I totally dig that you're trying to be the opposite of people like don'thate by being optimistic and pc about the whole thing but, really, it does matter. The same way that coming from a family with money is better than being from a family with no money, that being a man is better than being a woman, being white is better than being black, being straight is better than being gay, etc. etc. etc. throughout all of history ever. It's getting better, definitely, but it's certainly not over. Walk into any top ranking law school in the country and see how many of those kids come from a background where their parents made less than AT LEAST (and I mean AT LEAST) 100 grand a year. There will be one or two who get in through hard work, affirmative action, and it makes the school look good to take one or two kids from "nowhere" but, mostly, it's kids from private, ivy or ivy-ish schools who came from prep schools who came from families that supported their educations, gave them the resources needed, they didn't need to work a side job, etc. etc. So it's not as simple to say that "ranking" matters (I changed to "ranking" because it's less offensive than pedigree) because the socioeconomic culture of our country isn't that simple. We like to think that those who work the hardest get what they deserve, but it doesn't exactly work that way -- Horatio Alger was wrong. So yes, ranking matters because ranking as ALWAYS mattered and will continue to matter. And on another note, there are various reasons why someone would pursue an MA in English that doesn't lead to a Ph.D. It's totally fine to ask what someone plans to do, but condensation is suggested when we ask, "Well what you expect to do with that degree?" Of course, we cannot read tone through the internet, and assuming intention doesn't get anyone anywhere, but it does connote condensation. I got my MA from a school that only offers MA's in English, and out of 20-something of my graduating class, only two of us applied for PhD's. The rest are secondary education, special education, technical writing, private school education, want to go into non-profits, blowing time before getting a real job, just wanted to read a little before they had to get a "real" job, etc. etc. Not everyone enters into higher ed with the end goal of a PhD and teaching -- some do it for varying reasons. I even went to school with one guy who wanted to go into environmental protection stuff, and said that getting ahead in those nonprofits depends on your level of degree and not what it's actually in so having an MA in English would get him a good job starting out in the field.

My "senior seminar" course finished with a 12-30 page paper -- mine clocked in at about 17. We also had a lot of other "projects" to do that would prepare us for graduate study in English (that's how my prof structured the class: to prepare us for graduate school). Including writing 20 annotations, writing a review of a text, finding calls for papers and writing "fake" abstracts, extensive and exhaustive research logs to see where our weaknesses were in research and how we could improve upon them, developing a syllabus to teach theory (that was my fav part), and other stuff. So the paper was short, but we had kinda a "crash course" in stuff grad students do, so it evened out in the end. Long story short, I would want to write the longer paper. I don't really see the point of writing shorter papers in this context. I think your classmates may think it's easier when really it won't be. They'll just have to do three times the research and three times the close reading instead of focusing on one idea in depth -- I don't think they realize that. If it's still up for debate in your class, try to persuade them by saying how much more work it would be to start three individual projects that don't culminate into much whereas they could focus on one piece that could potentially be a conference paper, pub, or writing sample. My senior seminar paper was the jumping off point for my MA thesis which will continue (hopefully) into my dissertation. Writing three papers won't accomplish much more than refining your writing skills (which is never bad) but it's nice to get your hands dirty with a longer piece early because they are a separate beast all together.

This exactly. We live in a new age of technology and accessibility, and we have to acknowledge that.

So this just happened to me: My university email service allows for a few words of the body of the email to be read after the subject in your inbox kinda like gmail. I got an email from a school I'm applying to, and I just read, "Dear Blahblahblah, I am happy to inform you..." My heart stopped beating and I opened the email to read "... that your application has been marked complete and our admissions committee will begin reviewing applications at this time. blahblahblah." SONOFABITCH.

I would change it for all the above reasons. I don't think you need a head shot of you in a suit, or you feeding the poor or anything, but if your profile pic is you streaking or taking bong riffs or kicking a dog I would definitely change that shit. It's so easy to find people now, so an adcom wouldn't have to spend hours hunting you down. They probably won't even do this, but on the off chance that they might, always play it safe.

Haha! Yah they probably would. I didn't mean that so literally -- I was more being hyperbolic. I sometimes forget that you can't hear my tone of voice through the interwebs. And to answer your second question, I have no earthly idea. You can always call and ask the secretary. PS, everyone befriend the secretary of your programs -- it's really the best thing you can do in grad school. Most people treat them like shit and their job is reallyreallyreally aggravating -- PhD's are typically like children when it comes to filling out paper work and abiding deadlines (hence, the purpose of this very thread) so they're basically babysitters. Showing them a little love can get you a long way.

How does the "Status" tab of Buffalo's app read? Mine didn't read that they'd "Received" anything until after I submitted. I'm talking about where it lists things as "Rec'vd." If that lists states that everything was officially "Rec'vd," you probably have nothing to worry about. Of course, I don't know any of this to be a fact, but I figure if they received everything you're probably okay. Also, my app changed to "Read Only" after submission. Just FYI.

Yes, I received one. It tells me to pay the fee, and then the fee one tells me to submit the app. I assume, all things considered, that everything is covered. It also took about four days for my third recommender's letter to show up on their interface when I received an email from Buffalo saying it had been received. I'm not totally convinced of the reliability of their computer system... Might not be anything to worry about.

I would be annoying as shit to a prof who was late with a letter. I had one prof who waited until the last day to send in an app, and she says it was because she thought she had already submitted it. Turns out, she had submitted to another school and didn't think about the other one. I sent her, like, 3 emails that day. Profs have a lot going on, and I don't think they would take it personally if you give them a kind reminder. If worse comes to worse, butter up the secretary and ask them for their cell phone number. I would totally do that. I would also go by their house. But I'm also totally insane

Interesting point about how an adcom would know you did or didn't write a thesis unless, of course, you state as such. All they know about your education is what your transcript reads... hmmm very good point. And the term "MA" really varies depending on which school you attended. My MA required me to write a thesis AND take comps. But in my program if you don't write the thesis, you graduate with an "MS" (Master of Science -- they offer it because we have a big program for secondary education and since they're training to be teachers they don't have to write a thesis so we offer an alternative degree that just straight up literature students sometimes chose to do). So unless the adcom knew ALL of the above information, I don't think it would weight any decisions one way or another. I also don't think that just having written a thesis puts you heads above anyone who didn't -- I just think it can strengthen your app. Also, if someone is qualified to enter a program, I would hope that if they spent a year working on one project it would be good. Of course this isn't always the case, but if you spend an entire year working on one research project and it sucks at the end, you probably shouldn't be in an English PhD program. Sorry to sound harsh I think this further lends itself to the fact that we present "profiles" of ourselves and writing a thesis adds to this profile. I would highly doubt it would be the end-all-end-all of everything in an application process.

Yes, I would say student B has a higher chance of acceptance for all of the above reasons. Completing a thesis demonstrates your ability to handle a research/writing project of that degree which, in turn, demonstrates your potential ability to research/write/not have a nervous break down while tackling the dissertation. An MA thesis, and this of course varies, but mostly they weight in at 60-120ish pages in length. And let's not forget about the defense portion as well. These are all factors that an adcom will weigh... probably.

Dean Winchester gif? Merry Christmas to me!

What gave it away? Was it my vagina? Because I'm tired of it blowing my cover.

Why did this get downvoted? I thought you were actually being nice.

Honestly, I think you have a pretty good shot of getting in somewhere. You're already in good programs, and you have good numbers. I'd have to see your SOP and WS to really make that assumption, but based on what I've seen, I'd bet you'd get in somewhere.

I actually kinda like this idea, but I don't want to post personal information about myself on a public forum. I can say this: GPA: Not good, GRE: Not good, Institution: Not well known, doesn't even have PhD's program in any disciplines. Applying to programs that I'll never get into.

I also want to be a ballerina, but I've already seen Black Swan so you don't need to tell me how awful it would be.

Nope I do this too. I just meant that's not ALL grad school is. You know, like the stereotype and junk. And yes, this is exactly what I meant by this. Everyday I think about going to school to be a baker. If I did, 20 years from now I'd probably be sitting here wondering what would have been if I actually went through with those PhD apps. You'll always regret something, so there's no use in sitting around worrying you're making the wrong decision.

I meant while a graduate student not as an undergrad. And I also don't have 2 publications either I thought you were asking what happens to people IN graduate school who get A-'s and I was saying that it's sometimes understood because you're working on a lot more than just course work.